Members Statements in the Ontario Legislature
Re: Bill 83

Mr John C. Cleary (Cornwall):
This government's ignorance of the needs of the disabled has been
further exposed. I have received a letter from Huguette Burroughs
of Cornwall, who as a reporter with le journal de Cornwall was
invited to attend a major event hosted by the Minister of Health
recently at a major hotel. Unfortunately, Ms Burroughs was unable
to attend because the location which the minister chose for the
event was not accessible to the disabled.

According to Ms Burroughs, Minister Witmer's function
was held on the second floor of the hotel and there is no elevator
to get there. Ms Burroughs understands that hotels and restaurants
may not always want to comply in becoming fully accessible. However,
she finds it incredible that the Minister of Health would commit
such an indiscretion in staging an event of this nature.

This government's half-baked disabilities legislation
is insulting enough. The health minister and her colleagues must
seriously consider Ms Burroughs's suggestion that this faulty
legislation should be revised. It should state clearly that when
such functions are held, these should be held in fully accessible
locations.

How can the Harris government say they are committed
to eliminating barriers for disabled persons in Ontario when they
won't even accommodate the most basic accessibility requirements
for their own events?